Thomas MacKenzie is a policy staffer for the House Armed Services Committee. He is a former lobbyist for Northrop Grumman, which paid him nearly $500,000 in bonus pay just a month before MacKenzie went to work for Congress. (Photo from the Northrop Grumman website)

Northrop Grumman, the fourth largest weapons maker in the world, follows the actions of Congress very closely. The F-35, which may cost over $1.45 trillion because of unprecedented cost overruns, an expensive surveillance drone program criticized as unnecessary, and even a new fleet of nuclear bombers are among the Northrop Grumman products that may be in jeopardy as the Pentagon is forced to trim fat from the military budget. But luckily for Northrop Grumman, which made $2.12 billionin profits last year, the firm essentially has a man on the inside of Congress with wide sway over how the government spends money on national defense.

In 2011, after Republicans seized the House of Representatives in a landslide victory, the House Armed Services Committee, which oversees the military, gained a new chairman, Representative Buck McKeon (R-CA). As with most leadership changes, McKeon and his committee hired new professional staff. Thomas MacKenzie, a vice president at Northrop Grumman, was tapped to work for the committee beginning in March of 2011.

There are many examples of lobbyists burrowing into government to work in policy areas that impact their former employers. These lobbyists, as Public Citizen’s Craig Holman, an expert on lobbying, has explained, seem happy to accept low-paid public service salaries, perhaps because they can expect extremely high pay once they return to K Street.

In MacKenzie’s case, Northrop Grumman made sure he had extra cash before he went to work writing policy on the defense budget. Republic Report viewed a recently filed ethics disclosure form, and found that Northrop Grumman paid MacKenzie a $498,334 bonus in 2011, just before he went to work under McKeon as a committee staffer. The bonus was almost the size of MacKenzie’s annual salary at the firm, which was $529,379 in 2010. [View a copy of the disclosure here.]

Neither MacKenzie or the House Armed Services Committee communications director responded to multiple requests for comment from Republic Report. As a congressional staffer, MacKenzie now makes close to $120,000 a year.

Representative McKeon, by far the biggest recipient of Northrop Grumman campaign contributions in Congress, has defended billions of dollars in questionable projects for MacKenzie’s former employer. McKeon has fought to cancel the retirement of the Northrop’s RQ-4 Global Hawk, a drone the Pentagon could save $2.5 billion by cutting. He’s pressed to secure funding for a range of different aircraft developed by Northrop Grumman, from a new nuclear-capable long-range bomber to the F-35, which is slated to be the most expensive weapon developed in human history. Earlier this year, McKeon visited a Northrop plant and rallied employees to help him stave off nearly $500 billion in sequestration cuts to the defense budget as part of the deficit-reduction deal.

William Hartung, author of Prophets of War and a senior fellow at the New America Foundation, told Republic Report that the “circumstances around [MacKenzie’s] bonus is at best suspicious.” Hartung, a noted critic of wasteful military spending, said the “reverse revolving door” — where lobbyists become government officials — can have a “pernicious affect” on public policy.

MacKenzie’s career includes stints in the military, government and the private sector. According to a press release from Northrop Grumman, MacKenzie worked first as an aviator with the U.S. Navy, then as a senior policy staffer with the Senate Armed Services Committee. In 2005, he went to work for Northrop Grumman. Lobbying disclosures show that MacKenzie was part of a team that lobbied on over fifty weapons systems, including many of the programs he now oversees as a staffer under McKeon.

Reached for a comment, a Northrop Grumman public affairs representative simply told us: “Under company policy, I can only confirm that Mr. Mackenzie was an employee of Northrop Grumman.”

WHY can’t we make this illegal? Oh, yeah, because it’s far too profitable.

dk504

There used to be laws about this, they had to wait 5 years before becoming a lobbyist if leaving a Congressional members office, I don’t know about private industry. Probably nothing considering the Congressional members were coming out of public sector and can hire who ever they want.

Not so sure how I got on your mailing list, but it seems I only get stuff on Republicans from you. That’s fine, I do not vote Republican so hack at them all you want. I would like to see a few whacks at what I assume is your savior and the other Democrats. As an ex-democrat I have never felt like either party got anywhere by tearing down the other one, what has your side down for America. That is why I left. I have to laugh as I write this as apparently Rubio has ties to lobbying. What about our President and the other 534 members in Congress. You folks are what is wrong with the USA. My party right or wrong doesn’t cut it anymore. Both parties sold us out a long time ago.

Jeannie

Steve, the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, a nonpartisan watchdog group working for clean, open and honest government and reforms that make people matter more than money in politics. and its director, Mike McCabe, track the money in Wisconsin politics, and its influence on both parties. Every state needs an organization like this and someone like Mike McCabe fighting for honest government.

Trudy

No wonder confidence in our government and Congress especially is at a new low.

Ah, the GOP $120K is a low paying job from the government. Good thing it wasn’t a Union position, huh GOP, then you’d be really mad, while getting everything you want… oh… wait… that’s what they do anyway. GOP = Angry

Frycat44

they both use lobbiest or bribers as i see it.

dk504

Oh so you consider a 50-60K a year high pay with 3 kids living the high life? If the union worker is lucky then he or she can work up the ladder and make 100+ K.

After working 25-30 years what’s wrong with that? What’s wrong with having a pension? What’s wrong with the American Dream?

These Politicians rob us blind every day and they get a Gold Parachute when they retire and we get the shaft, but Union workers? Lets all poo-poo Union workers because they gave us the 40 hour work week and the weekend. Congress wouldn’t have done that one their own, they are all cowards.

Writing a letter regarding this matter is a stop-gap remedy. If there is not legislation prohibiting a potential employee from taking money prior or during their government job it is an endless letter campaign. On a related matter. There is no need for any campaign funding for campaigns. All donation ought to be illegal for candidates because the public airwaves ought to be provided for candidates at no cost ninety days before elections for debates and questioning by the press. A certain number of hours ought to be available for candidates, e.g. 20 hours or 30 hours or 50 hours set aside for campaigns. This is taking money out of politics and unless something like this is done our politics is about money and access to money. In other words politics now is just another way to attain wealth and privilege.

jstsyn

Glad someone is watching. Now we know how someone can go from a half mil a year to 120k and come out ahead.

Phil Dodds for Congress

google ‘phil dodds for congress’

akw

“Republic Report viewed a recently filed ethics disclosure form, and found that Northrop Grumman paid MacKenzie a $498,334 bonus in 2011, just before he went to work under McKeon as a committee staffer. The bonus was almost the size of MacKenzie’s annual salary at the firm, which was $529,379 in 2010.”

This is NOT true. They paid him a combination of severance pay and bonus totaling $498.334. I also imagine that if you bothered to check, the bonus was for work already performed according to a contract.

I have no special love for lobbyists, but when you exaggerate and spin, it’s the lobbyists who come out as the sympathetic characters.

hippie1367

Thank god corporate scum can give bonuses with taxpayer money to the filth that keep us in wars and blood.

EEMOSS57

this is what is wrong with america –DO AWAY WITH ALL LOBBYIST ~~~~~ !!!

Stpropst

Don`t all scum bags in Washingtho get paid, I think so. until they get paid for what they do thing will stay the same, take away there cushie sallerys and pay them for what do. watch the holler.

Republic Report is dedicated to rooting out the corruption that is so corrosive to American values. We investigate and uncover the buying and selling of politicians and of institutions entrusted with upholding the public interest. We expose how big money distorts major policy decisions – harming our economy and our people.